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Best place in the North West?

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Zeon

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Where's the best place to spot trains in the North West of England?
 
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Gareth Hale

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Zeon said:
Where's the best place to spot trains in the North West of England?
Since I grew up in the North West, I say Preston, Manchester Piccidilly or Lancaster. Ive also spotted at Manchster Victoria, Carlisle, Warrington Bank Que and Wigan North Western. So really, any spots on the WCML and Manchester Major stations are your best bet.
 

devon_metro

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Whys that Gareth?

Might it be because of those things that some people call pacers?
 

HSTfan!!!

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dvn1357 said:
Whys that Gareth?

Might it be because of those things that some people call pacers?

Don't some people prefer to call them heaps of scrap metal on wheels?
 

Gareth Hale

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dvn1357 said:
Whys that Gareth?

Might it be because of those things that some people call pacers?

Nope, you see a large amount of traction coming through, Expecially in Preston where you see

390's, 220's, 221's, 142's, 155's, 156's, 158's, 150's, 153's, Freight trains.
[EDIT]
HSTfan!!! said:
Don't some people prefer to call them heaps of scrap metal on wheels?
For once, this isnt about pacers, its the best place to spot trains in the North West. And im sorry, but pacers run in the north west, I have no control on where they run. If I did, they would be on the ECML and WCML now.
 

David

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Err, you don't see 155s in Preston, or anywhere in the North West. There is only 7 of them, and they are to be used within the West Yorkshire Metro area only.
 

Gareth Hale

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60006 Scunthorpe Ironmaster said:
Err, you don't see 155s in Preston, or anywhere in the North West. There is only 7 of them, and they are to be used within the West Yorkshire Metro area only.
You do too. They occasionally run on the Blackpool North to Scarborough line. Ive boarded one at Preston before.
 

ikar

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60006 Scunthorpe Ironmaster said:
Err, you don't see 155s in Preston, or anywhere in the North West. There is only 7 of them, and they are to be used within the West Yorkshire Metro area only.

155's are only used on Leeds-Manchester Victoria services.
 

Gareth Hale

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ikar said:
155's are only used on Leeds-Manchester Victoria services.
That is correct, they do fill 158's on occasions. (take it from the person who used to live 10 seconds away from that line)
 

Craig

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Depends what you want to see really. My favourites would be Crewe, Manchester Piccadilly or Warrington Bank Quay.
 

TAS

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Gareth Hale said:
For once, this isnt about pacers, its the best place to spot trains in the North West. And im sorry, but pacers run in the north west, I have no control on where they run. If I did, they would be on the ECML and WCML now.
I'm glad you aren't in control then Gareth. Only place I want to see a pacer is in a scrapyard.
 

David

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@ Ikar. The 155s are not used only on Leeds - Blackpool N services, as I have been on them between Knottingley and Wakefield Kirkgate.

@ Gareth Hale. They do not fill for 158s occasionally. The reason for this is that the are owned by the West Yorkshire Metro PTE, and they dictate the terms of use. IE. to be used within the West Yorkshire Metro area only.
 

AJP

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ikar said:
155's are only used on Leeds-Manchester Victoria services.

Manchester is in the north west ;)

I have seen 155's on the blackpool north trains millions of times as well.
 

ikar

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Oh, well - booked diagrams:

Code:
NL131 Class 155
06+03 Neville Hill Depot-Selby 07+18
0726 Selby-Manchester Victoria 0939
0954 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 1127
1134 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 1308
1324 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 1456
1508 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 1640
1654 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 1828
1837 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 2014
2019 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 2155

NL132 Class 155
0637 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 0815
0819 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 0956
1008 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 1139
1154 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 1327
1337 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 1508
1524 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 1656 NL039
1708 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 1841 NL039
1918 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 2057 NL039
2137 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 2313 NL039
2319 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 0054 NL039
00+58 Leeds-Neville Hill Depot 01+08 NL039

NL133 Class 155
05+03 Neville Hill Depot-Leeds 05+21
0551 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 0728
0747 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 0927
0937 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 1108
1124 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 1257
1308 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 1439
1454 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 1627
1637 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 1808
1819 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 1955
2037 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 2214
2219 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 2355

NL134 Class 155
05+37 Leeds-Hebden Bridge 06+11
0617 Hebden Bridge-Leeds 0708
0737 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 0908
0924 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 1056
1108 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 1239
1254 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 1427
1437 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 1610
1624 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 1757
1808 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 1940
19+52 Manchester Victoria-Newton Heath Depot 19+59

NL135 Class 155
06+27 Newton Heath Depot-Manchester Victoria 06+34
0649 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 0827
0837 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 1010
1024 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 1157
1208 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 1339
1354 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 1527
1537 Leeds-Manchester Victoria 1710
1718 Manchester Victoria-Leeds 1857
1922 Leeds-Wakefield Westgate via Halifax 2108
21+13 Wakefield Westgate-Wrenthorpe Sidings 21+15
21+26 Wrenthorpe Sidings-Wakefield Westgate 21+28
2129 Wakefield Westgate-Huddersfield 2204
2225 Huddersfield-Leeds via Halifax 2324
 

metrocammel

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ikar said:
155's are only used on Leeds-Manchester Victoria services.

That is NOT true at all!! - Never trust booked diagrams!- as things always get swapped!
They do occasionally run on services to Blackpool, which also explains their presence in York, where Ive seen them a few times. Back in ATN days I actually caught one on a TP service from Manchester Picc to Stalybridge!

However.... wait.... WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO SPOT UNITS? (or just as bad spot sheds?) Spotting has always been dull and boring.... but now it must be like watching paint dry.... At least the stoats back in the 80's / 90's could spot some decent locos like tractors, cans etc, but now NO! DONT DO IT!
 

Gareth Hale

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metrocammel said:
That is NOT true at all!! - Never trust booked diagrams!- as things always get swapped!
They do occasionally run on services to Blackpool, which also explains their presence in York, where Ive seen them a few times. Back in ATN days I actually caught one on a TP service from Manchester Picc to Stalybridge!

However.... wait.... WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO SPOT UNITS? (or just as bad spot sheds?) Spotting has always been dull and boring.... but now it must be like watching paint dry.... At least the stoats back in the 80's / 90's could spot some decent locos like tractors, cans etc, but now NO! DONT DO IT!

At last, sombody to prove that 155's have ran to Bpool.

Trainspotting is highly great fun!
 
H

HR2

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I have seen a nice little place just North of Carlisle on the East side of the WCML. It a little park like space with IIRC seats in it and a chain link fence. Right next to the tracks and about the same hieght. Had a very pleasant afternoon there about 12 years back. Mind you it might be full of scallys now.
 

Gareth Hale

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dvn1357 said:
Yes it is, but surely you like bus spotting...

[font size=6]...on rails[/font]

Of course. I don't only like to spot the ones on rails, I like to ride them 8-)8-)
 

Guinness

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Preston is good but Warrington is excellent for Freight.

155s run anywhere in the North West since Northern took over. Booked diagrams for 155s is all well and good posting them but they have been know to change. The diagram shows what timings it has been set at and in this case a Class 155. A 158 can work the route as it can keep to the timings and not have any pathing issues.
 

87015

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Those Victoria-Leeds Calder Valleys get any old junk kicked out on them. Anything and everything, don't think they believe in diagrams!
 

yorkie

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Zeon said:
Where's the best place to spot trains in the North West of England?
Depends.

Do you mean 'train spot' (take numbers down) ? Then the answer depends on what you want to spot.

Or would you rather have a nice, scenic location to take photos of trains in?

You'd never find me 'spotting', but I am up for going to scenic locations getting photos, and a good place for that is www.trainspots.co.uk (this is a site for good spots to take photos, it's not a "spotting" site).

In my experience you'll get loads of spotter-types at places like Crewe, but it's not a good place for photography. Similarly, Doncaster is the ECML equivalent of Crewe (but a bit better for photography due to having less poles in the way!)
 

Demps

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now come on you lot, stop arguing and get back to the point, since i live in the west the best place has to be the carlsile and settle! how can you say it isnt, well for scenery anyways, but for freight you cant beat carlsile !, duno how people can say otherwise, prob not experienced some of the glories of living in the north west for trains :D
[EDIT]
Gareth Hale said:
Why? They do their job cheaply and efficiantly. :D

yeh understandable, i am 50/50 on this one i dont mind a odd shot of a 142 but they are the king of ****boxes, hence cheapness.
 
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